Improvement in revolving fire-arms



M. L. ROOD.

Revolver.

Patented Nov. 22, 1853.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORGAN L. ROOD, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No; 10,259, dated November22, 1853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORGAN L. R001), of the town of Marshalhin'thecounty ofG-alhoun and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and usefulImprovement on aRevolvin g Rifle; and I do hereby declare thatthefollowing is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference beinghad to the annexed drawings,makinga part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a sideperspective view of the rifle, showing only a part of the barrel; Fig.2, the breech-plate with the revolving gear, 850., at tached; Fig. 3,the same gear (detached) for revolving and tightning the cylinder, &c.,consisting of a rock-shaft, crank-arm, cam, lever, stirrup, tumbler, andhook-connection; Fig. 4, the cap-plate and rock-shaft; Fig. 5, thebreech v pin Fig. 6, the-mandrel, guard, and cap-plate in one piece;Figs. 7 and 8, end views of revolving cylinder.

The same letters refer to like parts.

My revolving cylinder A, Fig. 1, is pierced with a hole in the centerslightly tapered, so that when the end is in contact with the barrel itwill accurately fit the taper mandrel B, Fig. 6.

The barrel is finished in the usual manner and firmly screwed in thehole 0, Fig. 6, and the end of the barrel and cylinder ground to aperfeet joint.

The cylinder is slightly chamfered where the cones for thepercussion-caps are inserted, and at the other end has guiding and stopnotchesor grooves to guide and hold it to its place. These groovesfitinto the guide-pin D, Fig. 6, when the cylinder is close up to thebarrel, they being guided opposite to the pin by the adj usting-spring Edroppinginto the sloped notches N N, Fig. 1, the spiral springF throwingback the cylinder while revolving. The guide-pin and spiral spring areboth made to detach for the purpose of grinding the cylinder and barrelto a joint. The cylinder is bored and grooved or rifled through andthrbugh, it being put on its own mandrel for that purpose, with thebarrel attached so that the bores and grooves may correspond exactly.

The breech-pins, Fig. 5, are screwed into the end of the cylinder andcountersunk flush, as seen in Fig. 7. I usually make my breech-pinsseven-eighths of an inch long, thus giving room for the cones, which arescrewed into them through the cylinder and countersunk below itsperiphery.

There is a hole t hrough the breech-plate to receive the end of themandrel, and also suitable slots and recesses for the revolving gear,the upper part being also grooved to receive and lock the end of thecap-plate of the mandrelpiece, when the whole is firmly secured by ascrew-bolt passing through.

My mode of cooking this gun, revolving the cylinder, and making aclosejoint with the barrel is as follows: Therevolving gear being in theposition as shownin Figs. 2 and 3 and the hammer down, itis cocked bythe same motion that revolves the cylinder by means of the slotted armG, Fig. 1, beingin connection with the revolving crank arm H and thehammer. This crank, being pulled in a direction to cook, revolves therock-shaft I and raises the lever J by means of the tumbler K andconnecting-stirrup L, Figs. 2and 3. Thislever acts upon teeth 0 0, Fig.7, cut in the end of the cylinder and chamfered on the outside, causingthe cylinder to revolve until it is stopped by the spring E slippinginto the sloped notches N N and the forward projection of the tumbler Kcatching in the grooved notchesM M, Fig. 7, in the end of the cylinder.The revolving lever J is pressed against the teeth on the end of thecylinder by a spring, P, Fig.2, where it is attached to the standard Rbya screw through a slot. Thecylinder having been revolved and the gun puton the full-cock, the crank H is brought back to its former position.This elevates the can] S, which is formed on the rock-shaft, bringing itin line with the cylinder and pressing it against the barrel and makingit tight and firm, having been brought precisely to its place by theguidepin and notches. This cam, in the act of revolving, drops into thecircular groove T, Fig. 7, while the cylinder recedes and turns, itbeing kept atits proper distance from the breech plate bya stud, U, Fig.2, which also works in this groove and is kept in contact by the spiralspring.

The guard V, Figs. 1 and 6, is for additional safety in case of anyaccidental discharge. I also use a smoke-guard, W, Figs. 1 and 6, forthe purpose of keepin g the revolving gear clean and protecting thesurrounding charges from taking fire. 'lhis guard has a short conicaltube, through which the hammer plays, and is made to fit tight in acircular groove round the cone or countersink for it. The guard isconnected to the cap-plate by a loop, so as to give it free motionlongitudinally, and is operated by a short arm on the rock-shaft, towhich it is hooked, as shown in Fig. 3, with the hook attached, so thatthe act of pushing forward the crank H (in order to elevate the cam Sand push forward the cylinder to make a closejoint with the barrel)depresses the short arm and hook, thereby bringing the tube down to itsseat and compelling the fire and smoke from the ignition of the cap toascend. It is of course raised from its seat by the reverse or cockingmotion.

The mandrel is drilled for the reception of the ra-mrod deep enough toallow the necessary length to load with.

I do not claim the revolving cylinder, nor do Iclaim as my invention thecrank H, rockshaft I, tightening-cam S, tumbler K, stirrup L, revolvinglever I, or spiral springF, nor the ratchet-teeth 0, nor the circulargroove T on the end of the cylinder, nor the adjustingspring E, nor theguard V, or their equivalents,

they having been before used; nordo I claim aslotted arm, G, as merelyconnecting the hammer with the crank H; nor do I claim the smoke-guardW; but

W'hatIdo claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The peculiar arrangement in fire-arms described above, by which theguide-pin D, Fig.

.6, in connection with the stop-notches N N,

Fig. 1, adjusting-spring E, and the hook-connection between thesmoke-guard W and rockmay be cocked with or'without moving thecylinder.

MORGAN L. ROOD. Witnesses:

GEORGE J onNsoN, ISAAC GIFFoRD.

